1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an earring kit and more particularly to an earring kit designed to provide a variety of decorative members suitable for interchangably attaching to an earring holder or post, particularly for earrings for use in pierced ears.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various decorative and ornamental earrings have been designed and are known in the art for use with either pierced or non-pierced ears. A pierced ear is one wherein the earlobe is punctured or pierced so that a post or the like may be inserted therein to hold the earring of the user.
Early Prior Art pierced earrings have provided either a one or two-piece earring. The two-piece earring has a straight shank portion with a decorative member permanently attached at the first end thereof. The shank portion is designed first to be inserted through the pierced ear and then to accept a slidably attached holder, stay or clutch mechanism designed to hold the earring in position in the ear of the user. Such an earring and clutch mechanism is shown by Chernow in U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,044.
The one piece earring such as that shown by Micallef in U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,068, generally provided an earring with a decorative member at a first end with a shank portion attached thereto and extending therefrom. The shank has a first portion extending at a substantially right angle from the decorative portion and a second portion substantially at right angles to the first portion for insertion into the pierced ear of the user and acting as the inner brace to hold the earring in place.
A later design, Chicckine, U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,118, provides an earring holder for use with pierced ears and includes a serpentine rod for insertion into a pierce ear. The serpentine rod loosely carries and allows for addition of different decorative members at the discretion of the user.
Douglas in U.S. Pat. No. 3,533,242 and Wieshuber in U.S. Pat. No. 3,418,826 disclosed the use of earrings having interchangeable parts.
The present invention provides an earring kit for use with pierced ears wherein the user can easily change the decorative member of the pierced earring at will using a variety of common items such as buttons or more expensive items specifically designed for the earring of the present invention, while maintaining a comfortable, easily useable and inexpensive earring.